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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 120 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.

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: ground · wake · season · chip · vault · chair · wax · squash

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — the sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. season — of the year
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — in sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chair — a leader
  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