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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: chest · band · bay · safe · fan · bound · file · scale

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. band — a ring
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a music group
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chest — a box
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. chest — of your body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. file — a document
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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