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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: roll · clip · rush · pass · rash · mouse · row · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. clip — to cut
  3. roll — a cake
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. roll — a list
  7. clip — a video
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — a series
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pass — a permit
  16. row — a line
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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