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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. firm — decided
  7. cold — an illness
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — to get on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to point toward
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — a company
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — steady
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. face — to confront
  24. stand — for spectators

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