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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 · mine · arm · chip · vault · stand · saw · stem

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chip — for betting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stand — for spectators

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