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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: chest · object · foot · wax · shower · craft · stem · can

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. craft — boats
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. object — an aim
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — a thing
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. object — to protest

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