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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 120 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: land · spell · cold · vault · bound · wave · face · patient

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bound — certain
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. land — a country
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bound — tied together
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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