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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spell — magic
  6. lean — to bend
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — a short time
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — wild animals
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. spell — letters
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — a match
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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