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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: mark · patient · staff · club · nail · fan · leaves · pass

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for golf
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. club — for dancing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — a group
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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