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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. game — a match
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fall — the season
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chip — for betting
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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