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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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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: arm · temple · patient · present · wave · squash · court · mate

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — a gift
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — for sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mate — a friend
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — of law
  10. present — the time now
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. court — of a king
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mate — a partner
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. present — there
  24. mate — to breed

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