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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: wound · mate · chip · arm · cap · vault · lie · pit

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lie — an untruth
  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