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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: toast · stem · wave · content · racket · rash · trunk · craft

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. toast — bread
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. craft — boats
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wave — with your hand

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