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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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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: mug · stem · coach · vault · board · bark · foot · snap

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — to get on
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — to rob
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — to shout
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. foot — a measure
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stem — to come from
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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