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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 · wave · can · cap · rule · jam · spell · bat

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. clip — a video
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rule — a law
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — government
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. clip — to cut
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spell — letters

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