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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 116 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — the time now
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — a gift
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. game — a match
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hide — animal skin

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