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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: key · jam · snap · lash · safe · cold · capital · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. craft — boats
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. key — in music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cold — not warm
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cold — an illness
  16. key — the most important part
  17. capital — money
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. capital — a city
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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