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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: sharp · swing · pit · lean · chip · lie · chest · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chest — a box
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — music
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pit — in a race
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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