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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: safe · ground · saw · season · face · bass · mouse · mark

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ground — a position
  18. season — in sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. face — to confront
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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