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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bound · patient · rash · pitch · rest · lash · degree

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rash — hasty
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rash — a series
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rest — what's left
  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