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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.

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: safe · squash · band · chair · rush · hand · lie · fall

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fall — the season
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rush — hurry
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chair — a leader

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