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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: squash · bay · net · patient · wave · temple · land · bound

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. land — to come down
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — a country
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bound — certain
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bound — obliged
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. net — in sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. net — for catching

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