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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — wild animals
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a face
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chest — a box
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a match
  23. key — in music
  24. spell — a short time

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