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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: bass · pitcher · dip · safe · wake · saw · lean · clip

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. clip — a video
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — the tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — thin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. dip — to sink
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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