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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: snap · stem · squash · branch · bear · current · craft · temple

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. current — happening now
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. branch — a division
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — the sport
  13. craft — a skill
  14. current — of water
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — electric
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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