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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: bass · clip · rush · fork · craft · pit · bark · wave

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. craft — boats
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. clip — for paper
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — a video
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bass — low music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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