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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 116 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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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: stick · field · bowl · wave · current · vault · pass · face

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — for sport
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — to confront
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pass — a permit
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. field — a subject
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — farmland
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wave — of the sea

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