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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: cell · calf · branch · current · rash · rush · fall · mouse

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rash — a series
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — a division
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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