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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: wound · content · face · plane · spring · prune · wave · vault

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — the season
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spring — of water
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — happy
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. face — to point toward
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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