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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: mate · stem · temple · key · deal · straw

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mate — a partner
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — to breed
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. key — in music
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stem — of a plant

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