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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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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: dip · lie · chip · bowl · bay · vault · game · spring

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spring — the season
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. game — a match
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. spring — of water
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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