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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: firm · wave · key · land · root · fall · bass · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. firm — decided
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — the fish
  7. land — a country
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — the cause
  14. firm — steady
  15. land — to come down
  16. root — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bass — low music
  19. key — in music
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. land — ground
  23. root — of a word
  24. kick — with a leg

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