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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
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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: clip · date · nail · wound · arm · cap · dip · jam

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — a hat
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. clip — a video
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a lid
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. clip — for paper
  22. dip — to sink
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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