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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — a song
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. branch — a division
  14. clip — a video
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. track — to keep track
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. track — a path
  24. branch — of a tree

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