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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: stand · ruler · net · wave · root · wound · bass · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. bass — low music
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — for catching
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wound — an injury
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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