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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: firm · rock · present · lean · wake · mouse · cold · wave

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. firm — a company
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rock — to move gently
  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