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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · straw · wave · content · current · key · fork · vault

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. vault — a safe
  4. content — the amount
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. content — happy
  7. key — for a lock
  8. current — electric
  9. key — in music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. content — videos and posts
  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