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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: lean · plane · coach · wave · date · roll · current · bound

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — electric
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bound — obliged
  18. roll — a list
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — thin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — of water
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. date — the fruit

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