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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · press · current · lash · branch · wake · safe · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. current — electric
  3. press — a publisher
  4. capital — a city
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — a trail
  8. craft — a skill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — to push
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. current — of water
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — boats

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