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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 116 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
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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: fan · ruler · patient · net · chair · saw

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — after costs
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — for catching
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. net — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — to sit on

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