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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.

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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. object — a thing
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — to eat
  7. land — a country
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — to come down
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. land — ground
  17. court — of law
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. object — an aim
  20. court — of a king
  21. chip — for betting
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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