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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: bear · stem · deal · arm · current · lean · hand · fork

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — thin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hand — help
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — electric

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