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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. clip — a video
  3. ball — a dance
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. clip — to cut
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. clip — for paper
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. saw — the tool

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