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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: current · fork · shower · foot · vault · fine · coach · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — a measure
  5. current — of water
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — high quality
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fork — in a road
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fine — all right
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. wound — an injury

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