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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. firm — a company
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kid — child
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — a match

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