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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: straw · track · safe · bass · sharp · season · face · fall

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bass — low music
  8. season — in sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. sharp — clever
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — to keep track
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. track — a path
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — of the year
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. face — to confront

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