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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: temple · bay · court · plane · fall · bass · mate · bowl

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. court — of a king
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. court — of law
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fall — the season
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bass — the fish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. court — for sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a friend

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