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

Word bank: wind · wave · bass · safe · perch · race · bat · leaves

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. race — a contest
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — humankind
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — the arms race
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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