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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.

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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: mine · fall · root · stand · wake · dip · pound · bear

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fall — the season
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — a weight
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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