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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: track · coach · patient · fall · nail · fan · key · staff

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. key — for a lock
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — a path
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — a song
  23. key — in music
  24. patient — a sick person

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