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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. clip — a video
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bank — for money
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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