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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: clip · jam · arm · row · leaves · stick · temple · mark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mark — a grade
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — to cut
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — a trace
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a line
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. clip — a video
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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