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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. band — a ring
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. current — happening now
  15. stem — to come from
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a music group
  18. current — electric
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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