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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — thin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — a friend
  24. arm — a part of something

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