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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 116 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: current · wound · fall · fan · bowl · calf · swing · branch

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. current — of water
  7. branch — a division
  8. fall — the season
  9. wound — an injury
  10. swing — music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bowl — a football final

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