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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 120 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: hand · trunk · fan · bank · current · shower · vault · ground

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — rain
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bank — of a river
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — happening now
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — of water
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ground — the earth
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — help
  24. bank — for money

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