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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: ruler · mate · rock · mine · straw · temple · pass · stock

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rock — music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — to breed
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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