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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: arm · bat · date · bass · firm · lash · safe · wave

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. firm — a company
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. firm — steady
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bass — low music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — decided
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. date — the fruit
  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