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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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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 · root · kick · mine · fall · safe · cold · toast

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season
  19. toast — bread
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. safe — out of danger

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