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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 120 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: wind · key · row · bark · rash · clip · wave · dip

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rash — a series
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — in music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bark — to shout
  12. row — a line
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. key — the most important part
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wind — moving air
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. clip — a video
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wave — with your hand

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