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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: wind · spell · lean · sharp · firm · safe · cell · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. spell — letters
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. firm — decided
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spell — magic
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — exactly
  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