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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: jam · rock · plane · row · nail · clip · bark · fine

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bark — to shout
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rock — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fine — all right
  20. plane — a tool
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. clip — for paper

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