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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kick — in football
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to confront
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — a match
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. toast — bread
  18. chest — a box
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — wild animals
  23. date — the fruit
  24. chest — of your body

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