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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.

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: season · mouse · chair · game · land · kid · temple · mate

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mate — a friend
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. kid — to tease
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. season — in sport
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. game — a match
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. game — wild animals
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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