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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: dip · pitcher · bulb · last · hand · game · lie · vault

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — to go on
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. last — finally
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — to sink
  20. game — a match
  21. last — final
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. dip — a sauce

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