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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: content · cue · game · rest · hide · stem · bulb · vault

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — happy
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — for pool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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