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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: cue · jam · hand · patient · bank · temple · mate · season

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. hand — in cards
  17. season — of the year
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — for money
  24. cue — for pool

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