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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: stem · rock · track · spring · band · current · branch · chest

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spring — the season
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. chest — a box
  6. track — a path
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — music
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — of water
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  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