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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · racket · craft · root · stand · sharp · land · wave

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — to come down
  7. root — of a word
  8. land — ground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — boats
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. land — a country
  18. sharp — clever
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — a skill
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wave — with your hand

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