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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: wave · fan · last · pit · bass · lean · safe · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. last — finally
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — final
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — low music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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