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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 120 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — a path
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. spring — a coil
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. current — electric
  10. tear — to rip
  11. game — a match
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tear — from crying
  20. game — wild animals
  21. current — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — to handle
  24. track — a song

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