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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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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: fall · season · wave · present · safe · lean · current · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — electric
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — there
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. season — in sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. cold — an illness
  12. current — happening now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cold — not warm
  15. current — of water
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fall — the season
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lean — thin

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