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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fall — the season
  10. root — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. root — of a word
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — the cause
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fall — to drop
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fine — all right

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