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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: jam · hide · toast · arm · lean · march · current · clip

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. lean — thin
  3. march — the month
  4. clip — to cut
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — bread
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. clip — a video
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. march — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — for paper
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. current — electric
  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