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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
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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: wake · calf · ball · shower · root · stock · stand · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. stock — goods
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. root — of a word
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. root — of a plant
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cold — an illness
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stock — shares
  23. stand — to bear
  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