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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
468
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: lean · rest · fine · toast · temple · staff · march · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rest — what's left
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. march — the month
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — all right
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rest — a break
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fine — high quality
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. march — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — of water
  24. toast — bread

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