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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: bank · arm · current · spring · saw · shower · stem · net

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — a coil
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. spring — of water
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — the season
  12. net — after costs
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — to come from
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. net — in sport
  20. shower — rain
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — happening now

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