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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: board · hide · bay · shower · mate · bat · bound · vault

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — rain
  10. bound — certain
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mate — a partner
  22. board — to get on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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