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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — decided
  5. face — to confront
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — steady
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — wild animals
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. tube — a container
  16. face — to point toward
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis

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