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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · lie · press · fan · vault · nail · game · race

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. press — a publisher
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — to push
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — humankind
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — wild animals

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