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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: rush · squash · key · stem · date · arm · craft · can

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — to hurry
  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