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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 120 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 · mouse · pass · straw · bulb · chip · vault · cap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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