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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: ruler · arm · track · rock · cap · land · temple · stick

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cap — a lid
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a song
  16. land — to come down
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — of ice
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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