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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: board · craft · press · bore · wave · vault

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. board — a committee
  6. vault — a safe
  7. craft — boats
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — to push
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. board — to get on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. press — newspapers

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