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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
Word bank
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — for catching
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — in sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chest — a box
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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