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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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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: rush · bear · clip · track · pass · can · cabinet · file

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a path
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bear — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pass — a permit
  20. file — a document
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — a video
  24. pass — to spend time

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