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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: craft · saw · nail · squash · arm · spring · board · stem

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. craft — boats
  13. spring — of water
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spring — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

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