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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: rash · cell · jam · perch · mark · arm · cabinet · clip

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. clip — a video
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — a series
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cell — in biology

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