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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: cell · coach · clip · mate · lean · land · jam · current

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — to breed
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. land — a country
  23. current — happening now
  24. cell — a phone

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