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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. clip — a video
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tube — a container
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — to be able to
  10. clip — for paper
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire

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