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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.

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: lie · pitch · bass · shower · safe · wind · trunk · mug

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mug — a cup
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — rain
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mug — a face
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — completely
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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