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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — help
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — happening now
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a match
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. game — wild animals
  23. firm — decided
  24. hand — part of the body

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