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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · straw · chair · drill · spell · leaves · fine · bore

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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. game — a match
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bore — to drill
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spell — letters
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — army training
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. straw — a straw man

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