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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: wake · jam · can · safe · straw · bass · bound · degree

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wake — a trail
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bound — certain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. degree — an amount
  14. can — to be able to
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bass — low music
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — tied together
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. can — a tin

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