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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: tube · march · charge · pass · spring · wave · vault · land

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — to come down
  5. spring — the season
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — of water
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. march — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. march — the month
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. land — a country
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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