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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 120 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: lie · cell · swing · vault · ruler · straw · hide · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — a safe
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. swing — music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. swing — in golf
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. swing — to play on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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