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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · lean · bowl · mine · vault · pop · straw · current

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. current — electric
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rash — a series
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. current — of water
  14. lean — thin
  15. pop — music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. current — happening now
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — soda
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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