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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: spring · coach · mate · mine · vault · land · leaves · nail

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spring — the season
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — ground
  8. mate — a friend
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. land — to come down
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — a coil
  20. land — a country
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mate — a partner
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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