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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. game — a match
  6. vault — a safe
  7. game — wild animals
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — to bear
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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