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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: shower · present · stem · arm · wax · bay · date · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. present — the time now
  3. craft — a skill
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — to wash
  6. present — a gift
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — to grow
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — there
  18. craft — boats
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. shower — rain
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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