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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: current · staff · bank · shower · fan · tube · lash · ball

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. staff — employees
  3. shower — rain
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — electric
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — for money
  24. lash — an eyelash

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