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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 · wave · stick · sharp · safe · net · fall · root

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bass — low music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fall — the season
  10. root — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. root — of a word
  16. net — for catching
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. root — the cause
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wave — with your hand

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