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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
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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 · kick · content · arm · game · bound · rash · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rash — a series
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kick — in football
  10. content — the amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bound — certain
  17. game — a match
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. game — wild animals

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