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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cap · bass · wake · clip · leaves · hide · march

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — low music
  9. march — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. clip — a video
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a hat
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cap — of ice

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