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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
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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: jam · date · foot · rash · bound · snap · lash · trunk

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rash — a series
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bound — tied together
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. foot — a measure

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