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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: wave · nail · bowl · board · rule · squash · prune · chip

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — to get on
  3. chip — to eat
  4. board — a committee
  5. rule — a law
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chip — for betting
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rule — government
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. squash — to crush

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