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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bowl · spring · wake · stand · current · key · dip

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. vault — a safe
  8. dip — to sink
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spring — of water
  13. stand — to bear
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — for a lock
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. current — happening now

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