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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.

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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 · track · bore · vault · cold · bay · object · stem

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to drill
  5. object — to protest
  6. track — a path
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — an aim
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. object — a thing
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cold — an illness
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. board — a flat piece

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