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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: cue · stem · shower · vault · hide · field · fork · firm

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stem — to come from
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. cue — a hint
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — a company
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. firm — steady
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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