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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: land · lean · chip · wake · current · vault · deal · wave

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — a country
  4. current — of water
  5. land — ground
  6. current — electric
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chip — for betting
  9. land — to come down
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chip — to eat
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. current — happening now

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