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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. game — a match
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rush — hurry
  12. press — newspapers
  13. hand — help
  14. mug — a face
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — moving air

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