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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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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: season · cap · bulb · lean · firm · root · wind · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wind — moving air
  3. firm — a company
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. firm — steady
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stand — to bear
  11. root — of a word
  12. wind — moving air
  13. season — of the year
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — thin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — the cause

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