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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: snap · temple · content · mate · lash · patient · stand · bowl

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stand — to bear
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. content — the amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mate — to breed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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