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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: temple · kid · ruler · track · lean · cap · stem · rash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cap — a hat
  9. kid — to tease
  10. track — a song
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rash — a series
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — of ice
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stem — to come from
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a path
  23. kid — child
  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