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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. squash — to crush
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. drill — a practice
  5. snap — to click
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — army training
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — finally
  19. squash — the sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. game — a match
  24. staff — employees

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