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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: mate · shower · racket · fall · lie · chip · vault · foot

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. shower — to wash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — for betting
  18. foot — a measure
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — a friend
  24. shower — rain

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