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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · can · face · calf · tear · cabinet · current · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — decided
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. face — to point toward
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. current — electric
  24. cold — an illness

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