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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: land · bank · stick · face · chip · nail · stem · rest

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — to come from
  16. land — to come down
  17. chip — for betting
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stem — a stem cell

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