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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.

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
468
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: craft · cue · file · clip · wave · spring · rash · cabinet

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spring — of water
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. clip — a video
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — a skill
  16. file — a document
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spring — the season
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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