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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — in control
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spell — magic
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a match
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. deal — to handle
  19. snap — to click
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spell — a short time
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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