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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. game — a match
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rock — a stone
  15. game — wild animals
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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