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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: vault · spring · chip · safe · mine · mug · ball · cell

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — a face
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — of water
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cell — in biology
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mine — for digging
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. safe — a strongbox

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