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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: plane · face · bound · root · track · row · vault · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. face — part of the head
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. vault — a safe
  10. face — to confront
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — a song
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — to keep track
  15. face — to point toward
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — a tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. row — a line
  23. track — a path
  24. row — to paddle

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