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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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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: chest · nail · wax · safe · branch · board · cell · chip

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — a division
  11. cell — in biology
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a committee
  17. chest — a box
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cell — a phone

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