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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. suit — clothes
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. lie — to recline
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — to be able to
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. object — to protest

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