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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — a hint
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a path
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. clip — a video
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cold — an illness
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. clip — for paper
  24. safe — out of danger

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