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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: lash · swing · can · prune · clip · object · coach · suit

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. swing — in golf
  7. clip — for paper
  8. suit — clothes
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. object — an aim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. swing — music
  14. clip — a video
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. suit — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. prune — to trim
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — to fit

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