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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — a break
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wind — moving air
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rush — hurry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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