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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: mouse · bat · cell · lie · spring · ball · pass · vault

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spring — of water
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cell — a phone
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. spring — the season

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