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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: clip · stock · season · roll · craft · lash · bank · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. clip — to cut
  9. roll — a list
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. craft — boats
  12. stock — shares
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — for money
  23. clip — a video
  24. craft — a skill

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