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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.

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: clip · rush · rash · file · cue · wave · content · pass

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. clip — for paper
  3. content — the amount
  4. file — a tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — a series
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. clip — to cut
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — on the skin

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