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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 116 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: calf · safe · bass · saw · bear · tear · wave · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the fish

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