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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — for a lock
  7. face — to confront
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — in music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wake — a trail

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