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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: bank · snap · season · track · clip · wake · fine · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fine — all right
  3. track — a song
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to click
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. season — in sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — of a river
  19. clip — a video
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. track — a path
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. clip — for paper

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