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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 · snap · suit · swing · cell · hide · prune · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cell — in biology
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cell — a phone
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. prune — to trim

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