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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rule — a law
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. game — wild animals
  20. face — part of the head
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wax — in the ear

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