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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
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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 · face · spell · jam · land · mate · chest · vault

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. land — a country
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. land — to come down
  15. chest — of your body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — a box
  18. land — ground
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mate — a friend
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — in traffic

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