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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: jam · bat · patient · bank · mate · temple · stick · plane

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bank — of a river
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mate — to breed
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bat — the animal

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