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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 120 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: safe · swing · cold · fork · dip · arm · current · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — not warm
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. current — happening now
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bass — low music
  24. fork — in a road

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