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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · mate · suit · temple · row · ball · stem · club

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. last — final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. row — a line
  6. club — for golf
  7. ball — a dance
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — to fit
  14. club — for dancing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — to paddle
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — finally
  23. mate — a partner
  24. club — a group

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