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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pass — a permit
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. content — the amount
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. season — of the year
  18. object — to protest
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. game — a match
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pass — to spend time

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