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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: pitcher · clip · wave · safe · bass · lie · net · fall

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — the season
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — for paper
  7. net — after costs
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — for catching
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — a video

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