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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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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: stem · craft · chest · march · fine · rock · drill · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. march — the month
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chest — of your body
  13. march — the month
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — high quality
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rock — music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. chest — a box
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fine — all right
  22. rock — a stone
  23. drill — a practice
  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