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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. face — to confront
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to point toward
  10. charge — in control
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. charge — a price
  18. march — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. march — the month
  21. kick — in football
  22. cold — an illness
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cold — not warm

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