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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: game · vault · lie · chair · ball · wave · leaves · date

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — the fruit
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ball — a great time
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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