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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 · temple · fan · rock · stem · race · content · branch

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — the amount
  17. craft — boats
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. race — humankind
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rock — a stone

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