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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: vault · bank · wound · current · stem · drill · season · rash

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — an injury
  5. drill — a practice
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. season — in sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rash — hasty
  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