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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. vault — a safe
  11. net — after costs
  12. court — of law
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chip — to eat
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mug — to rob
  17. row — a line
  18. mug — a cup
  19. net — for catching
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. net — in sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a face

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