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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: temple · leaves · squash · mate · degree · wave · roll · field

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. squash — to crush
  7. degree — temperature
  8. roll — a list
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. degree — an amount
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. degree — from a university
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. field — a subject
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a partner

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