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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: dip · roll · pass · stock · tube · wave · root · straw

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. root — the cause
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — goods
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pass — a permit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. roll — a cake
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. roll — a list
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. root — of a word
  23. tube — a container
  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