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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: cabinet · bulb · rule · chip · lie · degree · vault · key

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rule — government
  17. bulb — for light
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — a law
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — for a lock

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