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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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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: clip · snap · pitch · squash · track · bear · bank · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a path
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — a song
  16. clip — a video
  17. bear — the animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. track — to keep track
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — for money

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