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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: current · lie · rock · branch · vault · land · spell · mouse

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — to recline
  6. current — happening now
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. branch — a division
  10. current — electric
  11. rock — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — ground
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — to come down
  21. spell — magic
  22. rock — a stone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. land — a country

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