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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: jam · racket · toast · snap · lash · fine · arm · chest

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chest — a box
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. toast — bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. fine — high quality
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. racket — for tennis

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