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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: last · toast · scale · rule · stem · mate · staff · temple

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. staff — a stick
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. last — to go on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. scale — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — to breed
  20. toast — bread
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. last — final
  23. stem — to come from
  24. last — finally

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