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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 120 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.

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: can · squash · track · file · coach · clip · nail · leaves

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. file — a line of people
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. clip — for paper
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a document
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — to cut
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. track — a path
  24. clip — a video

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