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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: roll · mine · date · lie · vault · fan · hand · club

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — in cards
  13. club — a group
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. roll — a list
  19. club — for golf
  20. vault — a safe
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — help

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