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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
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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: lie · mouse · clip · row · bark · current · wound · rash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — electric
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rash — hasty
  5. clip — a video
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. current — happening now
  12. row — a line
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rash — a series
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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