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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rule — government
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. branch — a division
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — animal skin

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