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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · mouse · bass · wax · fall · cold · current · safe

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cold — not warm
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — happening now
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bass — the fish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — of water

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