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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.

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: chip · vault · cue · perch · game · lie · hand · shower

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — the fish
  11. shower — rain
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lie — to recline
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chip — to eat
  22. vault — a safe
  23. game — a kind of play
  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