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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: wound · squash · key · safe · foot · bass · race · plane

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bass — low music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. race — humankind
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wound — an injury

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