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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. row — a line
  12. branch — a division
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mug — a face
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cold — an illness
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cold — not warm
  22. stand — to bear
  23. face — to point toward
  24. date — on the calendar

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