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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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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: fork · season · clip · tear · fine · bank · firm · snap

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — steady
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. tear — from crying
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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