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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: club · ruler · straw · patient · spell · can · fan · cold

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — letters
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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