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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: rash · ruler · wake · cue · temple · mate · stick · straw

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ruler — for measuring

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