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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: safe · bat · tube · calf · plane · current · branch · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. current — of water
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — the underground
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. branch — a division
  22. bat — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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