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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: root · row · lean · rule · perch · rush · file · temple

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. row — a line
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lean — thin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. file — a tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — the fish
  18. row — to paddle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. file — a line of people
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — to rest against

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