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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: sharp · present · current · plane · wound · hand · branch · calf

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. sharp — clever
  4. present — there
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — happening now
  9. hand — help
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — electric
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. present — the time now
  19. hand — in cards
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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