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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: vault · straw · shower · can · net · foot · current · season

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — of the year
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — after costs
  6. foot — a measure
  7. current — electric
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. current — happening now
  20. shower — to wash
  21. can — to be able to
  22. season — in sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. current — of water

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