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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: branch · current · vault · bat · wake · wave · date · present

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. present — there
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — happening now
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wake — a trail
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. present — the time now
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bat — the animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. date — on the calendar

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