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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — high quality
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bark — to shout
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rush — hurry
  15. face — to confront
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. face — part of the head
  19. foot — a measure
  20. object — to protest
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — all right

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