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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: stem · pass · craft · toast · bear · can · chest · saw

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. craft — boats
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. toast — bread
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bear — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. craft — a handicraft

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