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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 120 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: mug · saw · cell · current · arm · last · stem · spring

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. last — to go on
  8. current — electric
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spring — a coil
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. last — finally
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spring — the season
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. last — final
  24. cell — in biology

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