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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — hurry
  5. key — in music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — in football
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lie — to recline
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — a match
  24. key — for a lock

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