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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: branch · race · shower · pass · spring · rash · current · vault

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. race — the arms race
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pass — a permit
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — of water
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. spring — of water
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spring — the season
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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