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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: lash · suit · cold · arm · jam · swing · rush · kick

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — in football
  4. cold — not warm
  5. suit — clothes
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. suit — to fit
  8. swing — in golf
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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