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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. kid — child
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cold — not warm
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cold — an illness
  14. branch — a division
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — the season

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