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

Word bank: staff · branch · calf · deal · race · coach · face · pit

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. face — to confront
  3. staff — a stick
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. pit — in a race
  11. face — part of the head
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — a hole
  18. branch — a division
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. staff — employees
  21. race — humankind
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — employees

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