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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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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: temple · stem · rest · rule · wake · straw

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rule — government
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rest — a break
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wake — a trail
  18. temple — a place of worship

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