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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · safe · straw · land · pitch · saw · bass · branch

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bass — low music
  5. land — to come down
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — ground
  9. pitch — completely
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. land — a country
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. straw — dry grass

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