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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 · rush · deal · bass · ground · clip · fall · bank

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rush — hurry
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — the earth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — crushed
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — boats
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ground — a position
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fall — the season
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

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