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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · tear · lean · fine · wound · bass · face · shower

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — part of the head
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fine — all right
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fine — high quality
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — the fish
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — low music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. tear — to rip
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wound — an injury

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