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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hand — in cards
  3. game — wild animals
  4. spring — the season
  5. hand — help
  6. game — a match
  7. last — finally
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. last — to go on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — of the year
  17. toast — bread
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spring — of water
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — a coil
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. last — final

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