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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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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: stem · band · content · safe · craft · snap · cue · last

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. band — a music group
  7. stem — to come from
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. band — a ring
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. craft — boats
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — finally
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. last — to go on
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. content — the amount
  21. last — final
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a rubber band

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