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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: bay · band · fine · rush · mark · stem · object · craft

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. object — a thing
  8. band — a music group
  9. rush — hurry
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. object — an aim
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fine — all right
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. object — to protest
  24. stem — of a plant

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