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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: content · firm · current · cold · fall · lean · leaves · bay

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — happening now
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lean — thin
  7. current — of water
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. current — electric
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fall — the season
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — a company
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cold — an illness
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. firm — decided
  24. lean — to rest against

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