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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 · key · wound · hide · pound · saw · bass · pop

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — soda
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pop — to visit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pound — a weight
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — music
  24. bass — the fish

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