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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: arm · shower · stem · wave · current · staff · chest · file

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. file — a document
  7. current — happening now
  8. file — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. current — of water
  14. file — a line of people
  15. staff — employees
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chest — a box
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. shower — rain
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. current — electric
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — of the sea

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