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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: vault · patient · fan · lean · track · band · current · bank

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a music group
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. track — a song
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a ring
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — happening now
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — a safe
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — electric
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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