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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 · rock · fan · root · stem · kid · cabinet · fall

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stem — to come from
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — child
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fall — the season
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. root — the cause
  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