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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: date · perch · temple · spring · plane · wound · wax · bound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spring — a coil
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spring — of water
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bound — certain
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spring — the season
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. perch — for a bird

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