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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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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: bear · stand · lie · branch · root · club · fall · wave

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — the cause
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. root — of a word
  9. branch — a division
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — a group
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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