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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mug — a cup
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a face
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — to tease

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