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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. craft — boats
  3. lean — thin
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — a match
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a music group
  9. suit — to fit
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — to bend
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fall — the season
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. suit — in cards
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — clothes

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