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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 · calf · current · wake · capital · lean · charge · stick

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. capital — money
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — thin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — a city

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