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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — a position
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bass — low music
  14. band — a music group
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bat — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wake — before a funeral

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