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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: wind · bank · sharp · content · current · vault · ball · patient

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a great time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bank — of a river
  7. content — happy
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — the amount
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. vault — a safe
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — electric
  19. wind — moving air
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — happening now
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — of water

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