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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.

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: roll · cell · foot · leaves · vault · spring · track · pitcher

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. track — a song
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. foot — a measure
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — of water
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — a safe
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. roll — a list
  20. spring — a coil
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. track — a path
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spring — the season

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