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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — of the year
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — a match
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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