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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 116 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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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: vault · game · stick · land · stock · lie · safe · shower

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. stock — shares
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — ground
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stock — goods
  19. shower — rain
  20. game — a match
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — a safe

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