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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: pitcher · bay · lie · current · calf · cold · branch · cap

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — a division
  22. cold — an illness
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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