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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.

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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: band · race · bark · wave · snap · mark · vault · current

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. band — a ring
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bark — to shout
  13. race — a contest
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. current — happening now
  21. snap — to click
  22. race — humankind
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. current — electric

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