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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rest — a break
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — in cards
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — what's left
  19. content — the amount
  20. lean — thin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hand — help
  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