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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spell — magic
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. game — a match
  8. mug — a face
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — to spend time

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