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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 · lash · bank · swing · pit · prune · trunk · current

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — electric
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pit — in a race
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. current — happening now
  24. prune — to trim

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