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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — boats
  5. stock — shares
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chest — a box
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. content — happy
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stock — goods
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chest — of your body
  21. content — the amount
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tear — from crying

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