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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: bass · safe · perch · coach · pitcher · tear · wax · snap

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. snap — to click
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tear — to rip
  24. safe — out of danger

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