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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: wake · current · branch · can · suit · bay · straw · spell

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. suit — to fit
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — happening now
  16. can — to be able to
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — letters
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. branch — a division
  24. spell — a short time

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