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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
468
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 · last · field · racket · lean · cabinet · mate · game

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. field — for sport
  4. mate — a partner
  5. last — finally
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. last — final
  12. field — a subject
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. last — to go on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — farmland
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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