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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. current — electric
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. current — of water
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — letters
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. kid — to tease
  20. net — after costs
  21. rest — a break
  22. net — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — to lash out

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