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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.

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: vault · stick · current · field · rash · lash · bank · rush

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rash — hasty
  6. field — for sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rash — a series
  9. rush — hurry
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. field — a subject
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. field — farmland
  21. vault — a safe
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rush — to hurry

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