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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: lash · game · club · lean · fine · safe · land · object

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — an aim
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lean — to bend
  6. land — ground
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — a country
  10. game — wild animals
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — to come down
  13. club — for golf
  14. lean — thin
  15. fine — all right
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. object — to protest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. game — a match
  24. club — a group

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