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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — for catching
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — of water
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. current — happening now
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wind — moving air
  21. net — after costs
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. current — electric

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