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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: plane · arm · jam · spring · stem · foot · current · degree

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. degree — temperature
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. degree — from a university
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stem — to come from
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — of water
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. current — electric
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — the season
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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