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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: chip · wake · fall · wave · rock · vault · wind · bound

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — certain
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — a stone
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chip — for betting

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