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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hide · lean · safe · game · scale · board · chip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — in music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. board — a committee
  11. lean — thin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. board — to get on
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chip — to eat
  24. safe — out of danger

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