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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: current · fan · calf · mine · hand · pop · branch · season

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hand — help
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. current — happening now
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hand — in cards

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