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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. shower — rain
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kick — in football
  9. object — a thing
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. game — a match
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. object — an aim
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. object — to protest

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