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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: key · bank · bat · ruler · lash · straw · jam · spring

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — in music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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