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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fall — the season
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stem — to come from
  16. squash — to crush
  17. game — a match
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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