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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: mark · face · wave · net · vault · content · foot · roll

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. foot — a measure
  5. roll — a list
  6. vault — a safe
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — happy
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — part of the head
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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