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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 · shower · present · wind · firm · bass · pop · nail

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — the time now
  4. shower — to wash
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — there
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — low music
  21. shower — rain
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — to turn a key

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