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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fall — the season
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — a match
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. face — to confront
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ball — a great time
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. press — to push
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bound — certain

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