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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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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: wave · cue · wind · cold · bulb · stand · root · rock

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. root — of a word
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stand — to bear
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wave — of the sea

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