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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. snap — to click
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bear — to put up with

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