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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: patient · mate · row · plane · staff · face · pound · vault

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mate — a partner
  8. face — to point toward
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — a weight
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a friend
  23. row — to paddle
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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