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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: chip · game · wound · vault · lie · hide · object · race

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — to protest
  5. wound — an injury
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. game — a match
  9. chip — to eat
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. game — wild animals
  12. race — a contest
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. race — the arms race
  20. object — an aim
  21. vault — a safe
  22. race — humankind
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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