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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: lie · kick · fall · squash · vault · bank · season · chip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chip — to eat
  9. squash — to crush
  10. kick — in football
  11. season — of the year
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — in sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fall — the season
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. season — to add flavour

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