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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.

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: safe · wave · season · stand · bank · leaves · last · temple

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — final
  4. bank — of a river
  5. season — of the year
  6. stand — to bear
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. season — in sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — finally
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. safe — out of danger

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