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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — a break
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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