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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 116 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: craft · bass · lean · swing · season · file · band · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. season — of the year
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — to bend
  9. season — in sport
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. swing — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a music group
  20. file — a line of people
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — low music
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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