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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: firm · spell · ball · chest · patient · coach

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. firm — steady
  3. spell — a short time
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — magic
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chest — a box
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. firm — decided

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