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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.

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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: fan · band · patient · bay · nail · staff · game · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. band — a music group
  21. game — wild animals
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — a stick
  24. game — a match

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