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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.

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: bass · fan · season · wave · bulb · tear · safe · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bass — low music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — of a plant

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