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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: cell · bass · sharp · rule · rash · chest · bear · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rule — a law
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chest — a box
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bass — low music
  21. rule — government
  22. rash — hasty
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — a phone

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