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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 116 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: patient · rash · coach · fan · plane · stick · clip · safe

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — a series
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — a video
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. plane — a tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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