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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: chest · current · deal · fall · plane · bank · stem · net

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fall — the season
  3. bank — of a river
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — for money
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — a box
  10. current — electric
  11. net — in sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — for catching
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. current — happening now
  24. chest — of your body

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