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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 120 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: file · ruler · stem · temple · mate · mark · chip · branch

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mate — a friend
  20. file — a tool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. file — a document
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — for betting

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