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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.

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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: vault · tube · wound · season · current · swing · pop · lash

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tube — the underground
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tube — a container
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — happening now
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — to play on
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. current — of water
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. vault — a safe
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pop — soda
  19. swing — music
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. current — electric

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