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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: wake · temple · season · trunk · bowl · bear · jam · patient

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. season — in sport
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bear — the animal

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