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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: vault · clip · squash · chip · bear · safe · pop · wax

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. clip — a video
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pop — soda
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chip — for betting
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — a safe
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. clip — to cut

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