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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lie — to recline
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — the most important part
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. fall — to drop
  13. object — an aim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. game — a match
  17. key — in music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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