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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: cabinet · land · vault · swing · deal · lie · present · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — the time now
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — ground
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — to come down
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lie — to recline
  19. land — a country
  20. present — there
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. swing — music
  24. deal — a big deal

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