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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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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: rest · fan · bat · safe · patient · key · club · temple

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — in music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bat — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. club — a group
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rest — what's left
  23. key — the most important part
  24. safe — out of danger

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