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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. key — in music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. object — a thing
  8. key — the most important part
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. track — a song
  11. clip — a video
  12. object — an aim
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — to tire
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a path
  22. clip — for paper
  23. object — to protest
  24. snap — to click

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