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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: bark · mug · stick · fan · snap · rock · rash · row

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rash — hasty
  5. row — a line
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rash — a series
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. row — to paddle
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to click
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. mug — a face
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — to cool the 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