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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 · jam · coach · calf · bound · mug · clip · pass

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mug — a cup
  5. clip — a video
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mug — a face
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pass — a permit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mug — to rob
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pass — to succeed

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