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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: band · rock · bound · hand · arm · can · jam · sharp

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. rock — a stone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — clever
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. band — a music group
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — help

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