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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against 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. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spell — magic
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a match
  17. current — happening now
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spell — letters
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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