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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: foot · vault · fan · wake · rest · row · present · current

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — there
  5. row — a line
  6. vault — a safe
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — a gift
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. current — of water
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. current — electric
  22. present — the time now
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fan — a supporter

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