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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · chip · lash · swing · prune · snap · date · pitcher

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chip — for betting
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — in golf
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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