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

Word bank: jam · arm · clip · stand · cap · band · shower · fall

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. band — a music group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fall — the season
  6. clip — for paper
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. shower — to wash
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cap — of ice
  11. shower — rain
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a ring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. jam — in traffic

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