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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: chair · stick · kick · hide · vault · board

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. board — to get on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — a safe
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kick — in football
  18. hide — to keep secret

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