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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.

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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: patient · firm · trunk · stock · bay · temple · wave · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. firm — a company
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stock — shares
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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