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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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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: object · hide · present · cold · current · kick · bank · vault

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. current — electric
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — a gift
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — of a river
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — there
  12. cold — not warm
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. present — the time now
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. object — an aim
  20. current — of water
  21. object — to protest
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. current — happening now

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