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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · wax · field · patient · kick · vault · wake · plane

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kick — in football
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. field — farmland
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — a trail

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