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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 · content · stick · leaves · date · staff · stem · cap

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. staff — employees
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. staff — a stick
  16. content — happy
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. date — the fruit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. staff — employees
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. content — the amount
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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