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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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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: root · stand · lash · wave · cabinet · bowl · wake · trunk

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. root — of a word
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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