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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.

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: patient · last · root · fan · lash · pass · present · club

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. club — for golf
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. club — a group
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — of a plant
  7. last — finally
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — for dancing
  10. present — there
  11. last — final
  12. present — a gift
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. root — of a word
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. root — the cause
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — to go on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — to lash out
  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