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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 116 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: squash · wave · wake · root · wind · hand · tube · stem

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — the cause
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hand — help
  20. root — of a word
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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