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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · current · fan · race · branch · last · chair · deal

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — to go on
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. race — a contest
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — humankind
  19. current — happening now
  20. branch — a division
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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