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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: clip · band · lie · spell · cabinet · jam · court · dip

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — to sink
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lie — to recline
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. clip — to cut
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of law
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — a video
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. court — of a king
  21. clip — for paper
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. band — a ring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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