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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: hide · row · squash · cap · foot · vault · board · charge

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — electricity
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — a lid
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — a committee
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. squash — to crush
  22. row — a line
  23. charge — in control
  24. foot — the bottom

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