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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: calf · pitcher · craft · rash · branch · object · lash · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rash — hasty
  5. object — to protest
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — a thing
  12. craft — boats
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. object — an aim
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — happening now
  22. branch — a division
  23. craft — a skill
  24. calf — a young animal

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