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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — a signal
  5. charge — a price
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. game — a match
  10. charge — in control
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lean — to bend
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lean — thin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — of the sea

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