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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: swing · stand · leaves · vault · lie · kid · toast · chip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lie — to recline
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. toast — bread
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. chip — to eat
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. kid — to tease
  16. vault — a safe
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. swing — to play on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kid — child

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