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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.

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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: kick · fan · bound · chair · roll · can · lean · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bound — tied together
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a list
  9. bound — certain
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chair — a leader
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lean — to bend

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