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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · squash · date · board · leaves · craft · chest · stem

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. hand — in cards
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. squash — the sport
  8. hand — help
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chest — a box
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chest — of your body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. craft — a skill
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — to crush
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. date — on the calendar

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