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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: season · game · plane · temple · bowl · mate · dip · branch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. season — in sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. plane — a tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — a match
  21. mate — to breed
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a tree

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