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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: craft · arm · shower · temple · mate · squash · clip · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stem — to come from
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — a video
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — a friend
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — to breed
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. clip — for paper
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — a partner
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stem — a stem cell

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