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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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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. bear — the animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — a path
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — a video
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — for money
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. clip — to cut

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