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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ball — a dance
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — a match
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pop — soda
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pop — music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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