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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: bay · object · vault · cold · bore · field · cue · stem

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. object — an aim
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bore — to drill
  13. field — farmland
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. object — a thing
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cold — not warm
  18. object — to protest
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. field — for sport
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — to tire
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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