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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: kick · sharp · rash · pass · jam · clip · toast · arm

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. clip — a video
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rash — hasty
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. clip — for paper
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rash — a series
  24. sharp — clever

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