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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · wind · last · calf · branch · lash · trunk · current

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. branch — a division
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. current — electric
  11. spell — magic
  12. last — finally
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. last — final

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