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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: cold · season · fall · wave · suit · bore · clip · bank

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. season — in sport
  6. bore — to tire
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — an illness
  16. clip — a video
  17. cold — not warm
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fall — to drop

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