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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: vault · chip · cap · board · wax · rule · squash · saw

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — to get on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rule — government
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chip — in a computer

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