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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. spell — letters
  5. clip — a video
  6. bore — to tire
  7. suit — in cards
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spell — magic
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a song
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bank — for money
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — an injury
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. track — to keep track

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