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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 120 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: wind · wave · foot · safe · land · suit · fan · root

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. root — the cause
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. land — a country
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. land — ground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — in cards
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. land — to come down
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — a measure

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