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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · date · temple · root · bore · lean · hand · squash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lean — to bend
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hand — help
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fall — the season
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — in cards
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bore — to drill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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