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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — boats
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hand — in cards
  19. branch — a division
  20. hand — help
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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