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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 · ground · fall · fine · toast · kick · file · temple

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a line of people
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fall — the season
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — high quality
  12. root — of a word
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. file — a document
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — the earth
  21. root — the cause
  22. toast — bread
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kick — 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