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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: prune · temple · mate · snap · jam · file · lash · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — a partner
  4. march — the month
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. file — a tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mate — to breed
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. file — a document

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