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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: chest · key · jam · stem · saw · court · lash · craft

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. court — of a king
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. court — for sport
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — a box
  11. craft — boats
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. court — of law
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — to come from
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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