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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: vault · date · can · spring · leaves · drill · rock · saw

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spring — a coil
  9. drill — army training
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — a tin
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spring — the season
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. can — to be able to
  24. leaves — of a tree

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