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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: temple · toast · fall · kick · suit · lean · plane · root

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. root — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a word
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — to fit
  19. toast — bread
  20. kick — in football
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — to bend

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