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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: fan · sharp · patient · nail · plane · pass · row · bear

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pass — a permit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. plane — a tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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