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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 · racket · squash · tear · fan · foot · stem · hide

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. craft — boats
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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