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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: bay · tear · snap · last · jam · chest · rash · suit

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chest — of your body
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. suit — in cards
  15. last — final
  16. snap — to click
  17. tear — to rip
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rash — a series
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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