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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. nail — on a finger
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. game — a match
  12. march — the month
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — wild animals
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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