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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: fan · mug · spring · calf · dip · racket · current · vault

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. vault — a safe
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mug — to rob
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spring — a coil
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — a face
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mug — a cup
  24. racket — for tennis

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