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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: wax · vault · suit · chest · chair · board · press · nail

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chest — of your body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — clothes
  13. board — to get on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wax — to grow
  19. press — to push
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. press — a publisher
  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