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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.

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: coach · snap · stand · patient · calf · spell · fan · lie

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spell — letters
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lie — to recline

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