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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to confront
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — wild animals
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a match
  12. can — to be able to
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. squash — the sport
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chair — a leader
  24. face — to point toward

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