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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: fan · bark · dip · clip · nail · rock · mark · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. clip — a video
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rock — a stone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wind — moving air

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