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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: date · scale · fan · lash · current · vault · degree · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — happening now
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — electric
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — of water
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. vault — a safe
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. degree — temperature

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