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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: craft · file · rush · clip · band · mug · game · can

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. craft — boats
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mug — to rob
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. file — a tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rush — hurry
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. clip — a video
  14. mug — a face
  15. file — a line of people
  16. game — a match
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. clip — to cut
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. can — to be able to

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