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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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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: snap · swing · jam · cap · date · lash · stem · stand

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cap — a lid
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. swing — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — to bear
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. date — the fruit
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to click
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cap — a hat

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