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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — magic
  5. clip — to cut
  6. board — to get on
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. track — a path
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — a video
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rock — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — a song
  23. spell — letters
  24. present — there

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