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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 · dip · vault · lie · lash · temple · shower · club

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. shower — rain
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for golf
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. club — a group
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — to wash
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — wild animals
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. game — a match
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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