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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.

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: pop · game · wake · lie · key · chip · clip · vault

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pop — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. game — a match
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pop — soda
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — in music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lie — to recline

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