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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: craft · clip · stick · bass · face · firm · rule · suit

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. firm — steady
  7. craft — boats
  8. firm — a company
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to point toward
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. clip — a video
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rule — a law
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. face — to confront
  24. firm — decided

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