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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. kick — in football
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hand — help
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — certain
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. game — a match

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