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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: mate · hide · vault · leaves · safe · spell · ground · court

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of a king
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. ground — a position
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mate — to breed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — a partner
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. court — of law
  24. spell — magic

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