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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — to bend
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wave — with your hand
  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