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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 · land · plane · content · bark · mate · jam

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bark — to shout
  3. content — the amount
  4. spring — of water
  5. content — happy
  6. mate — a friend
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — ground
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. land — a country
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mate — a partner
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — a safe

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