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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · cabinet · bore · board · hide · current · tube · cell

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cell — a phone
  5. vault — a safe
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. board — to get on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. board — a committee
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — of water

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