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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. race — a contest
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a ring
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — a path
  13. race — the arms race
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. race — humankind
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a rubber band

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