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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: arm · branch · safe · stem · board · pound · rest · bulb

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — to come from
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — a stem cell

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