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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: lean · cabinet · temple · roll · present · content · fall · foot

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. present — a gift
  2. lean — to bend
  3. content — the amount
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — the time now
  8. roll — a list
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lean — thin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. content — happy
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — there
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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