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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — to be able to
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — boats
  17. game — wild animals
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — a container

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