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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 120 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 · court · plane · spell · snap · pit · stand

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spell — magic
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. court — of law
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pit — a hole
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pit — in a race
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to click
  24. stand — for spectators

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