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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — the most important part
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. game — a match
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — thin
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. staff — a stick
  20. vault — a safe
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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