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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 116 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: stick · pound · face · spring · dip · bank · clip · bay

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — of a river
  7. clip — to cut
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. spring — the season
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pound — a weight
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — of water
  24. face — to point toward

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