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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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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: chip · board · dip · deal · foot · lie · cabinet · vault

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — to recline
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. board — to get on
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. foot — a measure
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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