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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: cabinet · date · hide · dip · rock · board · vault · straw

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. date — the fruit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a committee
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rock — a stone
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — music

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