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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: spring · cabinet · plane · vault · wave · face · pound · rock

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — a tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. spring — of water
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. face — to confront
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spring — the season
  23. rock — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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