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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. dip — to sink
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bank — for money

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