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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: bass · content · safe · cold · tear · rash · wave · jam

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — a series
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. bass — low music
  17. content — happy
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wave — with your hand

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