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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wax — to grow
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — thin
  24. capital — a city

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