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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: track · mate · arm · bank · present · wave · clip · drill

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. track — a song
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. mate — a friend
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. clip — a video
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. present — the time now
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mate — to breed
  19. track — a path
  20. clip — for paper
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mate — a partner

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