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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.

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: wave · fine · root · land · stand · dip · bat · mouse

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. root — the cause
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. root — of a word
  23. fine — high quality
  24. root — of a plant

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