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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · mate · hide · track · ruler · temple · spring · rule

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. rule — government
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spring — a coil
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — a law
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mate — to breed
  17. land — ground
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — to come down
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — a country
  23. mate — a friend
  24. temple — a place of worship

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