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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. plane — a tool
  3. press — to push
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. game — a match
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — wild animals
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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