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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — a match
  4. fall — the season
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rest — a break
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. scale — in music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pass — a permit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — hurry

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