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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. game — a match
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — government
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — in cards
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wave — with your hand

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