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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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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: plane · cell · jam · root · fine · vault · spring · rest

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cell — in biology
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cell — a phone
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. root — of a word
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rest — a break
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. root — of a plant
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. root — the cause

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