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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.

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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — in football
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. net — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bass — low music
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — after costs
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the instrument

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