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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: game · stand · cabinet · bowl · chip · fall · vault · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fall — to drop
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chip — in a computer

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