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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: suit · mate · bat · temple · leaves · cold · dip · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — to breed
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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