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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: lie · bowl · club · perch · vault · bay · cold · game

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. club — a group
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lie — to recline
  17. game — wild animals
  18. vault — a safe
  19. game — a match
  20. club — for golf
  21. cold — an illness
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — the fish

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