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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 · drill · date · lash · pop · current · branch · jam

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. current — happening now
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pop — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pop — soda
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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