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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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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: prune · hide · jam · rule · chest · stand · lash · rash

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chest — a box
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rule — a law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chest — of your body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rash — hasty
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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