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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. land — ground
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a match
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. land — a country
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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