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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · mine · saw · vault · plane · fine · stem · bark

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. vault — a safe
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bat — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fine — all right

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