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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. spring — a coil
  7. game — a match
  8. spring — of water
  9. spell — letters
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. spring — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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