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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 116 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: fan · coach · hide · clip · row · wake · suit · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. clip — for paper
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. clip — to cut
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. suit — clothes

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