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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: lean · fan · vault · current · mark · rash · mine · cap

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — a series
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — hasty

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