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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — music
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. firm — decided
  10. game — a match
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — a stone
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. perch — the fish

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