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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. vault — a safe
  4. clip — a video
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — for digging
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mark — to pay attention

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