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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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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 · deal · safe · wave · stick · fall · nail · kid

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bass — low music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — to handle

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