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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.

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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spell — letters
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. content — happy
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — the amount
  24. tear — from crying

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