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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 116 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: last · lash · branch · wake · current · trunk · safe · cap

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. last — final
  5. current — of water
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — electric
  11. last — finally
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — to go on
  20. branch — a division
  21. wake — a trail
  22. current — happening now
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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