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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · spell · foot · fan · nail · wind · club · coach

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — letters
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — moving air
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. foot — a measure
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — magic
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for golf
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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