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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: land · sharp · suit · lie · net · stand · wave · root

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. land — to come down
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. land — a country
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. net — in sport
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — after costs
  21. root — of a word
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. root — the cause

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