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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: cell · root · bat · temple · file · rush · lean · ruler

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. file — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lean — thin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. root — the cause
  21. bat — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a document

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