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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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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: branch · stem · last · cap · staff · craft · vault · race

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cap — a hat
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. last — final
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — of ice
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. race — the arms race
  20. staff — employees
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — finally

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