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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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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: club · stem · file · lean · branch · wind · jam · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. club — for golf
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fork — in a road
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — a group
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. file — a tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. branch — a division
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fork — to eat with

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