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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.

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: mug · vault · suit · cell · plane · bat · mate · spring

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bat — the animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mug — a face
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — to breed
  8. suit — to fit
  9. spring — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. spring — of water
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mate — a partner
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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