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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 116 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.

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: field · wave · vault · staff · fork · current · leaves · nail

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — electric
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. field — farmland
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. field — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. current — happening now
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. current — of water
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fork — in a road
  24. nail — on a finger

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