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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: rule · bay · saw · temple · spring · lean · pit · root

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — the season
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. root — of a word
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — a law
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — government

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