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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 · jam · stem · net · cabinet · wake · stick · bore

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. craft — boats
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stem — to come from
  19. net — in sport
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stem — a stem cell

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