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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · cabinet · calf · sharp · firm · march · cold · wave

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. march — music
  4. cold — not warm
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — decided
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — clever
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. sharp — exactly

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