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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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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: game · pass · vault · mark · lie · trunk · season · ball

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — of the year
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a match
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ball — a great time
  13. vault — a safe
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a dance
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lie — an untruth

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