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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: calf · fork · roll · wind · temple · current · spell · branch

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. roll — a list
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. roll — a cake
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. current — of water
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — a short time

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