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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 120 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: wave · vault · stick · chip · nail · wind · saw · trunk

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. vault — a safe

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