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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rest — a break
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. rule — a law
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rule — government
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — to rule out

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