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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: lie · ground · plane · net · game · face · vault · calf

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. net — after costs
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — a match
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — for catching
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — in sport

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