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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: cap · rock · stick · bank · tube · plane · current · shower

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — a lid
  5. current — electric
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. shower — rain
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cap — a hat
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tube — a container
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — the underground

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