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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: jam · wake · lash · key · date · straw · chair · craft

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. date — the fruit
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. craft — boats
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. key — in music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. craft — a skill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — an eyelash

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