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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: can · jam · clip · file · wave · stand · march · mug

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. mug — a face
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. file — a tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. clip — for paper
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stand — to bear
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. file — a document

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