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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: plane · root · wave · land · snap · rest · lie · bound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — a country
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — of a word
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bound — certain
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. land — ground
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — the cause
  14. land — to come down
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to click
  22. bound — tied together
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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