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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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468
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: foot · craft · bank · last · season · stem · plane · tear

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tear — from crying
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — a skill
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — to go on
  13. season — of the year
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stem — to come from
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — a measure

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