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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: land · mug · spring · vault · season · leaves · bat · stand

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. land — ground
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mug — a face
  19. land — a country
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. land — to come down
  23. mug — to rob
  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