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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — boats
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. craft — a skill
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — hasty
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rash — a series
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — for spectators

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