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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 120 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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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: dip · chair · patient · clip · band · net · nail · fan

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — after costs
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — in sport
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. net — for catching
  22. band — a ring
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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