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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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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: chip · board · drill · mark · nail · wax · vault · safe

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — a trace
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — army training
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — a committee
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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