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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 120 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: wax · bat · bowl · net · temple · swing · mate · patient

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — in sport

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