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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 · file · root · temple · spring · fall · hide · saw

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a line of people
  4. root — the cause
  5. lean — thin
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spring — a coil
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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