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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: field · branch · rush · bass · current · hide · vault · lash

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — a safe
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. field — farmland
  7. rush — hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. branch — a division
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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