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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — a series
  9. lean — thin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lean — to bend
  16. present — the time now
  17. game — a match
  18. present — there
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. present — a gift
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stand — to bear

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