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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: wind · cap · land · safe · board · vault · root · chip

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a word
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. land — a country
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — a hat
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chip — for betting
  15. board — to get on
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a plant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — of ice
  24. land — ground

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