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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 · leaves · arm · jam · cell · wound · nail · bank

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cell — a phone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. nail — for a hammer

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