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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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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: stand · rest · bay · bass · safe · tube · wake · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bass — the instrument

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