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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 116 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: stand · fall · leaves · lean · degree · mouse · mate · root

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lean — to bend
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — temperature
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — for spectators

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