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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 120 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — wild animals
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. charge — in control
  11. race — a contest
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mate — a partner
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — electricity
  24. race — humankind

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