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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: branch · lash · rush · craft · capital · current · staff · date

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — a stick
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — a division
  9. craft — boats
  10. capital — money
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. capital — a city
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. date — the fruit

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