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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 120 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: rock · cabinet · lash · wave · snap · prune · trunk · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to click
  19. swing — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rock — music

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