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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.

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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: squash · bowl · row · dip · clip · key · rush · rock

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. row — a line
  4. rush — hurry
  5. key — for a lock
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rock — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — a video
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — for paper
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. squash — the vegetable

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