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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · file · cold · calf · wave · wake · cabinet · face

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. face — to confront
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a line of people

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