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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · temple · fall · leaves · season · stem · bore · rush

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. season — in sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fall — the season
  7. season — of the year
  8. rest — a break
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — what's left
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rush — a thrill

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