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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · cap · bank · bowl · bass · safe · cold · wake

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. current — electric
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cold — an illness
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. current — happening now

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