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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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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: key · vault · board · hide · bear · fall · mug · row

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — in music
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mug — a cup
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mug — a face
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fall — the season
  23. board — a committee
  24. 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