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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — low music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — child
  22. plane — a tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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