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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.

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
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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: wake · temple · safe · clip · fan · capital · present · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. present — the time now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. capital — a city
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. capital — money
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — there
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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