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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 · cabinet · straw · cap · chip · vault · object · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lie — to recline
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. object — to protest
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chip — to eat
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. object — a thing

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