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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · current · wave · lash · saw · vault · court · present

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. present — a gift
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — of law
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — there
  15. vault — a safe
  16. current — electric
  17. present — the time now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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