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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 · temple · ruler · spring · land · last · cue · straw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. land — ground
  11. last — finally
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — a container
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. land — a country
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. land — to come down
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  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