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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: vault · rush · fan · patient · club · staff · perch · straw

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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 — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — a group
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. perch — the fish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rush — hurry
  15. vault — a safe
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. club — for dancing
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for golf
  23. straw — dry grass
  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