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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 120 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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mark — a grade
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — employees
  6. bank — for money
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — a video
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. root — the cause
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — a stick
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a word
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. track — a path
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. root — of a plant

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