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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
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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: object · club · patient · rash · season · kick · fan · drill

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rash — a series
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. season — of the year
  6. object — a thing
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — in sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — a group
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. club — for dancing
  14. drill — army training
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — for golf

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