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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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468
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: vault · content · game · craft · rash · face · lie · club

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. face — part of the head
  3. club — a group
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — a safe
  7. game — a match
  8. club — for dancing
  9. face — to confront
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — wild animals
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rash — a series
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. club — for golf
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rash — hasty
  24. content — the amount

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