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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.

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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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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: perch · safe · last · bore · foot · bass · tear · stand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. last — final
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. foot — a measure
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stand — to bear
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — to go on
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — finally
  21. bore — to tire
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tear — from crying

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