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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — to point toward
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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