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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: stem · vault · mug · bat · chip · lie · current · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. kick — in football
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mug — a face
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — of water
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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