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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: spring · ground · vault · mine · safe · mouse · dip · row

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — crushed
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — to paddle
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spring — of water
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — the season
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ground — the earth

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