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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
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: fan · patient · pass · last · drill · board · arm · kid

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a committee
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — finally
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kid — child
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — the tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — final
  20. drill — army training
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — to go on
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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