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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. face — to point toward
  9. branch — a division
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — to confront
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. cold — not warm
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — a stick

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