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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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 — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. tube — a container
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. firm — a company
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cold — not warm
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wave — of the sea
  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