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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. face — to point toward
  3. squash — to crush
  4. face — to confront
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. game — wild animals
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. game — a match
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. swing — to play on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lie — to recline
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — music

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