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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 116 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 · cabinet · bore · board · hide · current

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. bore — to tire
  6. current — of water
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. vault — a safe
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to drill
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — animal skin

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