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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 120 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: leaves · fan · rule · cell · mate · spring · vault · shower

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mate — a partner
  3. spring — the season
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rule — government
  9. spring — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. shower — rain
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — a safe
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spring — a coil
  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