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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. drill — the tool
  3. game — wild animals
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fork — in a road
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — decided
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cold — not warm
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. firm — a company
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. firm — steady
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — for money
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. game — a match
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. hide — to keep secret

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