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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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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: vault · lash · staff · chip · bat · charge · wax · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. charge — electricity
  7. vault — a safe
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. charge — in control
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — a price
  24. wax — for sculpting

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