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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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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: fan · drill · stock · saw · suit · last · pass · patient

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. last — finally
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stock — shares
  6. suit — in cards
  7. drill — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — army training
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — a practice
  17. last — final
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — a permit
  22. last — to go on
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — a supporter

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