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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · clip · bank · charge · lash · mine · track · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. clip — a video
  10. track — a song
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a path
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. track — to keep track

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