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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 124 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: snap · bank · race · face · mark · sharp · game · straw

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. race — humankind
  5. bank — of a river
  6. race — a contest
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to click
  10. race — the arms race
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. face — to confront
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — a trace
  21. sharp — clever
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — with an edge

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