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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: craft · cap · squash · band · branch · rush · current · leaves

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cap — a hat
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — of ice
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. band — a music group
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cap — a lid
  20. branch — a division
  21. squash — to crush
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — of water
  24. band — a ring

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