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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 · lash · fan · root · bound · jam · can · straw

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. can — to be able to
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bound — certain
  17. chest — a box
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. root — of a word

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