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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. staff — a stick
  10. present — the time now
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. present — there
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fall — the season
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. staff — employees

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