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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — a break
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. game — a match
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. game — wild animals
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — to bend
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. temple — a place of worship

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