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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — the sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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