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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. game — wild animals
  4. can — to be able to
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kid — to tease
  7. game — a match
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lean — thin
  14. kid — child
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a ring
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. club — for golf
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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