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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: mug · wave · mine · prune · spring · mate · vault · wound

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spring — of water
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — the season
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mug — a face
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. vault — a safe

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