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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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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: mark · temple · mate · snap · season · plane · roll · kick

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. kick — in football
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. roll — a cake
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. plane — a tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — a grade
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. snap — to click
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. roll — a list
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mate — a friend
  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