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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fall — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. game — a match
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. spring — the season

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