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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 116 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: rest · tube · craft · stem · key · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. tube — the underground
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — a skill
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — magic
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stem — of a plant

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