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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: wave · net · vault · chip · present · cold · season · cabinet

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — a safe
  4. season — in sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. present — a gift
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — there
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cold — an illness
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — after costs
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. net — in sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. season — of the year

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