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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.

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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: sharp · craft · kick · face · bound · staff · ground · chip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — certain
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ground — the earth
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bound — tied together
  13. craft — boats
  14. ground — a position
  15. kick — in football
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — obliged
  24. kick — with a leg

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