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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 · march · arm · content · craft · rest · chest · last

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rest — a break
  8. content — happy
  9. craft — boats
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chest — of your body
  12. march — music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — what's left
  16. last — finally
  17. march — the month
  18. content — the amount
  19. last — final
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. last — to go on

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