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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 · calf · hand · pitcher · tear · wind · bass · fan

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — low music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hand — help
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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