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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rule — government
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. lean — thin
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rule — a law
  22. wax — to grow
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to bend

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