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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mate — a friend
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — a partner
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. game — a match
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mate — to breed
  19. capital — money
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. capital — a city

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