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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: tube · mate · rule · stem · mouse · chip · lean · temple

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. mate — a friend
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stem — to come from
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — a law
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rule — government
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — to breed

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