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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · patient · key · lash · chair · fan · bass · clip

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bass — low music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. clip — a video
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chair — a leader
  15. key — for a lock
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. clip — for paper
  24. key — in music

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