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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: vault · prune · rush · row · current · bear · fan · object

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. current — electric
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. current — of water
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. object — to protest

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