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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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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: chip · bay · pitcher · bulb · vault · lie · snap · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. march — the month
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — to eat
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — in a computer

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