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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pound — a weight
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. game — a match
  14. suit — to fit
  15. shower — rain
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. game — wild animals
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. row — a line
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — for dogs

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