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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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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — a tin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. can — to be able to
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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