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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spring — of water
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. face — to point toward
  8. spring — a coil
  9. object — to protest
  10. spring — the season
  11. face — part of the head
  12. object — an aim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — a match
  22. face — to confront
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — a supporter

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