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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: cell · land · wake · rush · mate · bass · cap · vault

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cap — of ice
  9. land — ground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mate — a partner
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rush — hurry

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