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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — a weight
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — a position
  9. club — for golf
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. club — for dancing
  17. game — a match
  18. club — a group
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. snap — to click
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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