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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — boats
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. game — a match
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rash — a series
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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