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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · cap · spell · branch · safe · net · fan · squash

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — magic
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — a hat
  11. branch — a division
  12. squash — to crush
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — letters
  16. net — after costs
  17. current — happening now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — for catching
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. current — electric
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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