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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kick — a thrill

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