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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: fine · band · snap · patient · calf · coach · temple · ball

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ball — a dance
  22. band — a music group
  23. ball — a great time
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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