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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 120 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: mark · current · rush · leaves · vault · stick · bat · sharp

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rush — hurry
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. current — happening now
  8. bat — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — of water
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. leaves — of a tree

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