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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. present — there
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. shower — rain
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. shower — to wash
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a ring
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a music group
  19. suit — to fit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — boats
  23. roll — a list
  24. stem — to come from

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