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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.

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 · fan · clip · fork · shower · game · cap · bass

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — rain
  5. fork — in a road
  6. game — a match
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. clip — a video
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bass — the fish

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