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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: wound · fall · pass · temple · ruler · fine · root · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. fall — the season
  9. mate — a friend
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — high quality
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — the cause
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ruler — a monarch

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