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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: vault · cue · hide · file · fall · row · bear · arm

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. file — a line of people
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fall — the season
  6. file — a tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cue — a hint
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. file — a document
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. arm — a part of something

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