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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: fan · band · safe · arm · game · pass · patient · wake

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a music group
  3. game — wild animals
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pass — a permit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — a match
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. band — a ring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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