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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: vault · press · wind · stand · chip · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wind — moving air
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — for betting
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. vault — a safe
  18. press — newspapers

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