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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: pass · rule · stem · temple · bat · ruler

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — a law
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rule — government
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bat — for baseball

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