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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · safe · present · bound · track · stand · file · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. rock — music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — to bear
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. present — a gift
  13. file — a document
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. present — there
  18. clip — for paper
  19. track — a song
  20. present — the time now
  21. file — a tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — for spectators
  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