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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 120 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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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 · fan · root · wind · capital · stick · safe · lean

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. lean — to bend
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — of a plant
  12. capital — a city
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — a supporter

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