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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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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 · pitch · lean · present · fall · temple · spell · mark

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spell — magic
  8. fall — the season
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — to bend
  12. present — there
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lean — thin
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — a grade
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mark — a trace
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. temple — side of the head

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