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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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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: rock · bass · wave · key · hide · safe · root · cold

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. root — of a word
  7. cold — an illness
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. key — in music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. root — the cause
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. key — the most important part

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