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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: kick · craft · stem · jam · can · hand · scale · rash

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. can — to be able to
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rash — a series
  9. kick — in football
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — boats
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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