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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 · stick · sharp · dip · rest · fall · wind · stand

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wind — moving air
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rest — a break
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fall — the season
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — to bear

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