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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: fan · rule · rush · mate · fall · content · root · lean

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. root — the cause
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a word
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. content — happy
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lean — thin

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