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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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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: fall · plane · stem · cell · branch · net · arm · straw

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. net — for catching
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. net — after costs
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fall — the season

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