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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 120 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: bay · hide · bulb · cold · vault · club · rest · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. club — a group
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — a safe
  10. club — for golf
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rest — a break
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cold — not warm

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