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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: net · firm · season · temple · mate · kid · wake · fall

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. net — after costs
  4. season — of the year
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — steady
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mate — a partner
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — child
  16. season — in sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. mate — to breed
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. kid — to tease

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