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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 116 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: vault · saw · last · dip · ground · stem · march · craft

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. craft — boats
  8. vault — a safe
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. march — music
  11. ground — a position
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — finally
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ground — the earth
  19. last — final
  20. ground — crushed
  21. last — to go on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — the tool

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