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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: lie · game · shower · fork · rash · hide · court · vault

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. game — a match
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. court — of a king
  14. game — wild animals
  15. court — for sport
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. shower — to wash
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — rain

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