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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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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — the fruit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. branch — a division
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a committee
  15. foot — a measure
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — to get on
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — part of the body

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