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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 · lie · fall · racket · branch · safe · kid · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — a division
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kid — child
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — to drop

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