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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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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: band · squash · track · saw · foot · clip · patient · file

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. track — a song
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. squash — to crush
  12. band — a ring
  13. squash — the sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. band — a music group
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a line of people

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