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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: deal · current · fork · clip · lash · press · calf · branch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. clip — to cut
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — to handle
  16. current — of water
  17. press — a publisher
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. clip — a video
  23. current — electric
  24. clip — for paper

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