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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: row · rush · suit · mouse · bark · pop · clip · fan

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. clip — to cut
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a line
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pop — to visit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pop — music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — soda
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — the animal

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