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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · squash · wax · craft · stem · pass · hand · bark

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. present — a gift
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. present — the time now
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hand — help
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. present — there
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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