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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: safe · ball · row · trunk · saw · clip · stem · track

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ball — a dance
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — to come from
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ball — a great time
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — to cut
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. row — a line
  23. clip — for paper
  24. track — a song

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