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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lean — to bend
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — wild animals
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bound — certain
  22. charge — in control
  23. swing — music
  24. lie — to recline

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