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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · game · vault · temple · fan · chip · straw · mug

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — a match
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — a safe
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — wild animals
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mug — to rob
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chip — for betting

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