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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
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: net · bear · season · bat · key · patient · mate · temple

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. season — of the year
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — in sport
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — the most important part
  16. net — after costs
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — in music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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