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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: bear · board · snap · chest · vault · temple · toast · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chest — of your body
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. board — to get on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. toast — bread
  14. chest — a box
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chest — of your body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to click
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. vault — a safe
  24. board — a committee

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