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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 120 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: ball · chair · clip · safe · nail · bass · wave · calf

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bass — the fish
  16. clip — a video
  17. ball — a dance
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chair — to sit on
  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