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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · wake · craft · face · hide · object · file · ground

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ground — crushed
  10. object — an aim
  11. craft — a skill
  12. object — to protest
  13. face — to point toward
  14. object — a thing
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — a trail
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — a position
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com