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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · bass · snap · firm · craft · fork · clip · dip

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — to sink
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. clip — a video
  15. firm — steady
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rush — hurry
  19. firm — decided
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bass — low music

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