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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 · stick · chip · temple · lean · vault · club · rush

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — hurry
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — for golf
  10. current — happening now
  11. chip — to eat
  12. vault — a safe
  13. club — a group
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chip — for betting
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. current — electric
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lean — to rest against

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