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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · hand · current · lean · root · tear · field · wave

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — electric
  7. lean — thin
  8. current — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. current — happening now
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — the season
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — for sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. root — of a word

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