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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: wave · fine · sharp · root · fall · ground · bowl · stick

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. root — the cause
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fall — the season
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — high quality
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. root — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. root — of a word
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ground — the earth

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