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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · stem · craft · rush · wound · bat · mug · arm

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stem — to come from

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