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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. game — a match
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — in football
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bound — certain
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — obliged

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