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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: saw · stem · chest · branch · nail · arm · current · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. current — happening now
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. current — electric
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. current — of water
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. branch — a division
  13. object — a thing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — a box
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stem — to come from

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