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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a song
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — the arms race
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — a video
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — for paper
  18. race — a contest
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. race — humankind
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — of a river
  24. march — music

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