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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: chest · bank · bass · fan · saw · wave · pit · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — low music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chest — a box
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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