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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: lash · season · date · cell · trunk · jam · rash · pass

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rash — a series
  10. cell — a phone
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. season — of the year
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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