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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.

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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: arm · mug · spell · squash · stem · craft · scale · content

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. content — happy
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spell — magic
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. content — the amount
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mug — a face

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