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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tear — from crying
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tear — to rip
  15. hand — in cards
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — help
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — the most important part
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a match
  24. leaves — lets stay

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