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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: rule · straw · bowl · key · hand · wake · suit · jam

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. key — in music
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — help
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rule — government
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. key — the most important part

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