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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: plane · mate · cell · chair · vault · bulb

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cell — a phone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — a tool

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