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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 120 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 was a fun ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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 — a match
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — army training
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — 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