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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. toast — bread
  8. suit — clothes
  9. game — wild animals
  10. shower — rain
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — to fit
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kick — in football
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rash — hasty

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