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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — boats
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. season — in sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — a stone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. season — of the year
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. game — a match
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — help
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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