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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: cell · march · saw · rock · spring · mine · vault · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. march — the month
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — electric
  13. march — music
  14. vault — a safe
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rock — a stone
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. current — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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