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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: cell · race · chip · wind · charge · board · wax · vault

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. race — a contest
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — a price
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — for betting
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. charge — in control
  14. board — to get on
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wind — moving air
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — a committee
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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