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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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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: vault · perch · face · root · wave · pass · roll · mouse

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. roll — a list
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. root — the cause
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. face — part of the head
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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