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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: leaves · vault · wake · bound · sharp · scale · roll · face

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bound — certain
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. roll — a list
  15. bound — obliged
  16. face — to point toward
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. roll — a cake

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