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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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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 · track · suit · rest · spell · lash · bay · arm

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — a break
  5. suit — to fit
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spell — letters
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spell — a short time
  16. track — a song
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a path
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — magic
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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