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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cell — in biology
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. game — wild animals

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