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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 · face · fan · can · bear · vault · foot · bat

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — electric
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. face — to point toward
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — a measure

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