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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. degree — from a university
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — in cards
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. degree — temperature
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. vault — a safe
  18. suit — clothes
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — of the year
  22. plane — a tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bank — for money

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