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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 120 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 · dip · chair · kick · temple · game · safe · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. game — wild animals
  3. band — a music group
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kick — in football
  10. band — a ring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a match
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. temple — a place of worship

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