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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hand — help
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — to confront
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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