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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. squash — the sport
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mug — a cup
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — to crush
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — a face
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — of a river

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