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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pop — to visit
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — to point toward
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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