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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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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: mine · current · deal · bass · race · vault · spring · lash

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. current — happening now
  9. vault — a safe
  10. race — the arms race
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. race — a contest
  19. deal — to handle
  20. current — of water
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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