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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: fork · clip · row · arm · bound · mouse · rash · fan

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rash — a series
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bound — certain
  7. clip — a video
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. row — a line

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