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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: clip · fan · spell · sharp · bark · root · saw · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. clip — a video
  7. spell — magic
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spell — letters
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bark — to shout
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — the cause
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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