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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mate — a partner
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — tied together
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mouse — the animal

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