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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · spring · straw · roll · bark · jam · bear · key

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spring — a coil
  5. key — in music
  6. roll — a list
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spring — the season
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. spring — of water
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. craft — a handicraft

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