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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. track — a path
  5. game — wild animals
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. track — to keep track
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spell — magic
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — a match
  24. track — a song

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