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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. game — wild animals
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. press — a publisher
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — newspapers
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. swing — music
  23. press — to push
  24. bound — obliged

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