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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · lie · band · season · row · mark · dip · vault

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — in sport
  10. band — a ring
  11. game — a match
  12. row — a line
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. dip — to sink
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. vault — a safe

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