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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 116 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: fall · squash · vault · file · board · branch · chip · wax

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. branch — a division
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. vault — a safe
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — the sport
  19. file — a document
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — to get on
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chip — to eat

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