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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — to push
  4. march — the month
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. face — part of the head
  14. march — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cold — not warm
  20. face — to confront
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — the month
  24. calf — a young animal

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