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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 · lash · vault · date · pit · bowl · firm · cap

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cap — a hat
  5. vault — a safe
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. firm — decided
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. firm — steady
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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