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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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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: band · fan · patient · toast · snap · firm · staff · perch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — employees
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to click
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. band — a ring
  14. toast — bread
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — steady
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. staff — a stick
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — the fish

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