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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spell — letters
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — magic
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — of the leg

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